Agenda item

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Reform & Governance)

The report sets out the comments of the Constitution Working Party and the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee on a range of issues arising from the recent review of the Constitution.

The appendices to the report contain the detail of proposed changes to the Constitution, the scheme of delegation or other governance procedures.

The Executive is invited to recommend that the Constitution be revised to give effect to the resolutions set out below:-

(i)     That the Leader of the Council should make arrangements for Traffic Regulation Orders required for the purpose of amending fees to be approved by the Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing).

(ii)    That the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Officers dealing with Planning and Development Matters attached to this report at Appendix C should be adopted by the Council Meeting.

(iii)  That the Constitution should be revised to give effect to the description of arrangements for property transactions set out in section 6 of the report.

(iv)  That, in the light of the Companion Guide to the Constitution attached at Appendix B, the following reports considered by the Corporate Resource and Management Scrutiny Committee are recommended for approval by the Council Meeting or the Leader of the Council as appropriate:

·         Review of Stockport Council’s Scrutiny Arrangements

·         Individual Member functions

·         Review of Council Champions

·         Review of appointments to outside bodies

·         General review of the Constitution

·         Code of Conduct dealing with Planning and Development Matters

·         Financial Procedure Rules

Officer Contact: Celia Tierney on 0161 474 3230 or email: celia.tierney@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Reform & Governance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider the outcome of a review of the Constitution and other governance matters. The reports had been subject to consultation with the Constitution Working Party and Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the proposed changes to the Constitution it is recommended that the Constitution be revised to give effect to the following:-

(i)     that the Leader of the Council should make arrangements for Traffic Regulation Orders required for the purpose of amending fees to be approved by the Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing).

(ii)    that the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Officers dealing with Planning and Development Matters attached to this report at Appendix C should be adopted by the Council Meeting.

(iii)  that the Constitution should be revised to give effect to the description of arrangements for property transactions set out in section 6 of the report.

(iv)  that, in the light of the Companion Guide to the Constitution attached at Appendix B, the following reports considered by the Corporate Resource and Management Scrutiny Committee are recommended for approval by the Council Meeting or the Leader of the Council as appropriate:

·         Review of Stockport Council’s Scrutiny Arrangements

·         Individual Member functions

·         Review of Council Champions

·         Review of appointments to outside bodies

·         General review of the Constitution

·         Code of Conduct dealing with Planning and Development Matters

·         Financial Procedure Rules